Water monitoring and management system in distribution networks

Abstract

An individual water consumption monitoring and management system, applicable in domestic, commercial and industrial water distribution networks. One of the preferred ways of implementing the proposed system comprises the development of two solutions. The first solution comprises the use of multiple flow meters, enabling the individual measurement of water consumption from the domestic, commercial or industrial network where the system is implemented, and the second solution comprises the use of a single flow meter, for measuring consumption, associated with at least one pressure sensor which is adapted to identify the water dispenser circuit that is active.

1 . A system for monitoring and managing water consumption in interior house supply networks, comprising
 at least one flow meter installed in the interior water supply network; and   at least one control system configured to receive data from the at least one flow meter;   wherein the control system transmits to a server by means of a wireless communication system the data received from the at least one flow meter and also displays them to a user by means of an LCD screen.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the control system comprises at least one microcontroller and a current converter. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the interior house water supply network comprises at least one room equipped with a distribution box that branches the interior supply network through a set of valves. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the interior house water supply network comprises at least one cold water network and one hot water network. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the branching of the interior supply network through a set of valves comprises circuits that independently feed each of said valves and that comprise the installation of at least a flow meter in each of said circuits. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein each distribution box comprises at its inlet at least one cold water network and at least one hot water network under which flow meters are individually installed. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the distribution boxes comprises decentralized control assemblies comprising at least one microcontroller configured to collect and analyse data from at least one flow meter. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the decentralized control assemblies communicate remotely with the control system by means of a wireless communication system. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a measuring device comprising a flow meter and a pressure transducer, which are internally connected to a microcontroller configured to collect and analyse the data coming therefrom. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a monitoring device consisting of a server configured to collect, by means of wireless communication networks, data from a measuring device, and by at least one configured microcontroller and an LCD screen configured to display the information to a user. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 10 , wherein the server is configured to provide information to a user by means of a user device, for example, a smartphone or other technically suitable device. 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the flow meter comprises at least two inner service pipes, a first service pipe and a second service pipe, under which they are installed independently, and in each of said service pipes, at least one interior flow meter. 
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least two inner service pipes of the flow meter comprise equal sections. 
     
     
         14 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least two inner service pipes of the flow meter comprise different sections. 
     
     
         15 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the two inner service pipes of the flow meter comprises a non-return valve configured to prevent the occurrence of flow in the flow meter installed in series in the respective service pipe. 
     
     
         16 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein at least one of the two inner service pipes of the flow meter comprises more than one flow meter mounted in series on the service pipe.